Kept in Check
by Tony Stark's Hidden Side
Summary: "We need to be kept in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game." Tony's thoughts when he first reads the Sokovia Accords, and why he decides to go along with them. Oneshot. Rated T for (internal) swearing, because this is Tony Stark we're talking about.


**A/N - I actually agree with Steve on the Accords, but I wanted to write this as Tony's perspective.**

He and doubt were old, good friends. He and doubt had a committed, long-term relationship going, and it was going to last for a good long while. But nothing like this. He literally was sitting with a glass of scotch in his hand, contemplating flipping a coin to decide the fate of the Avengers. Or at least, the fate of the Accords that, if Ross got his way, would soon govern them.

Because in all honesty? Those pieces of paper terrified him. And it didn't help that Ross was a total ass and the last time superheroes let some organization with its own interests control them, said organization had launched a nuke at Manhattan. A nuke Tony had had to stop with his suit and nearly died in the process. Yeah, he really didn't want a repeat of that one. Plus, there was the little matter of the Accords themselves, namely the fact that he knew at least three superheroes he happened to like quite a bit who would never sign them. Bruce, for instance, assuming he ever came back (he assumed he would someday come back) would definitely take off running again at these stupid rules.

"Pep-" he looked up for a second to call for his CEO to come and have a look at the treaty, only to remember that she wasn't there. She was probably at a friend's house, eating ice cream and sobbing over romantic comedies, or whatever highly successful people did after a breakup. Meanwhile, he was trying to decide something that could easily tear his team apart. Him, the supposedly irresponsible one. "Uh, Jarvis, call-" he hesitated, considered apologizing to FRIDAY for getting the names wrong again, and decided against it. If he just stopped talking, he might not make any more mistakes.

He read the Accords again. In his opinion, they were reasonable, but he had to face facts. His judgement was obviously impaired, because from trusting Stane to creating Ultron, he really didn't have the best track record until lives were immediately in danger. Honestly, if the whole "suit of armor around the world" fiasco had taught him anything, it was that he was not the person to consult on issues of morals and ethics and just generally responsible decisions.

Tony Stark was not good at this.

It was amazing, really, that it had taken him this long to realize something that obvious. Anyone who came into contact with him could probably tell you in under an hour that this wasn't the kind of problem anyone should bring to Tony Stark. Which begged the question of why the hell Ross had brought exactly this kind of fucking problem right to his door, in person no less. Maybe he was counting on the simple fact that Tony would come to this realization, the easy decision that he couldn't be trusted with something like this.

Superheroes. Steve would say, without hesitation at all, that they should be pulling their own strings, without interference. But then Tony would do something stupid, like, oh, say, create a horrific hellish monstrosity of an artificial intelligence that ended up lifting Sokovia into the sky? Just for example. And then what would happen? Steve would be frustrated and wish that someone could just keep in in check.

Superheroes, he reflected bitterly, weren't always morally sound people like Captain America and Bruce. Sometimes they were dangerous, people who should be kept on a short leash, like… oh, him, for example. If someone had actually kept an eye on him, he wouldn't have been able to create Ultron. Innocent people wouldn't have died.

And sure, there was a little part of him that was wondering whether people like Steve should be punished for one mistake by one cocky and irresponsible inventor. And another little part wondered why the hell he should be making this decision. Wasn't it up to the actually morally sound people?

Except, no. It wasn't, because they always saw the best in people. Steve, for instance, hadn't even blamed him for more than, what? Five minutes? Ten? And then the man who created Ultron hadn't even been punished, wasn't even facing criminal charges. And that was just damn ridiculous. He should be in jail for creating something like that. Hell, if someone who wasn't a superhero had created a monster like that, they would probably be in jail, or labelled a supervillain.

And what was going to stop the next arrogant, "I can make a better world" idiot from playing God and getting people killed? Steve was too busy pursuing his own agenda, namely finding as assassin who was on the run from at least seven governments. Natasha was even busier, trying to deal with all the different political interests that had their eyes on the team. Clint was retired, Bruce was MIA, Thor was usually either on Asgard or with his girlfriend, Jane Foster. And Tony was just not qualified, that was a fact nobody could dispute.

He picked up a phone and shot off a quick email to Steve, which he knew the super soldier would never bother to check, because honestly, that man hadn't checked his messages in over a year. That wasn't even an exaggeration.

Stevie - hoping the Accords don't shock you too much. I'll go ahead and assume you understand my reasons. I just wanted you to remember: superheroes aren't always people like you. Sometimes they're people like me, and if those people get too much power, the world is going to go to shit. Trust me, I should know. It almost went there because of me twice before, first because of weapons I designed, and then because I was playing God with artificial intelligence. That's why I need that power taken out of my hands, well, not that, but at least supervised. Because if I'm not following some set of rules (and I think we've established that you can't keep me in check) then I'm going to end up ending the world by accident, and by arrogance. -Tony.

He called Ross the next day about how to break the news to the rest of the team, and the general didn't even sound surprised. He must have known Tony would eventually come to his senses and realize how dangerous it was to have people like him left unsupervised. How dangerous it was to have Tony himself left unsupervised. As it turned out, Steve disagreed with him, along with Clint, Wanda, and Falcon. Vision agreed with him, of course, and so did Natasha, who knew exactly what he meant about them being dangerous. Rhodes, though, was the one who made his day. He seemed to glow when he realized Tony was actually starting to grow up and realize that he didn't rule the world.

Steve never did get the email.


End file.
